San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-11
Chapter About the Jews.

BABY Ion, and before the rebellion Of The
jews against the Romans ia the reign OF
VespRsisn. Judea, being hut slightly
larger than Wal =, L. not at ali likely, In
ancient times, to have contained 50 large
| u population Ms S.0000O0 The oppres-
sion and expulsion Of the jews from
Russia a. d some provinces In Germany
brings vividly to mind The cruel perez
Gu ion of the jew In all the nations Of
Europe. with few inieTmissioI =, from
the capture If Jerusalem by the Romans
under Titus down TO the seventeenth
century. The dispersion Of the jews
was principally brought about by The
Romans from motives OF policy TO put
AT end 10 their frequent r-belliOns, and /,
In this way. large colonies of them v ere
settled In the various provinces OF the
Roman empire. Eighty thousand jews
were removed to Spain before the fall OF
the Roman empire OF I've west.
Looking bask AT the dispersion OF the
Jews by their Punishment from JuGes--
the hostility aud contempt manifested
towards them by pagans and Christians,
and the oppression and persecution to
which they we're everywhere subjected.
1t seems incredible they should have es-
capped extinction. The social aud POI
liticsl revolution Occasioned by the tide
DI
wave. over the Roman empire empire OF
tb. West. blotted out many nations; but
The Jews escaped destruction by the
sword and by amslgamation with the
conouering barbsrians. They preserved
their religion and customs In spite OF
the bitter enmity of the people OF every
nstinn among whom they lived and
the ceaseless persecution and oppression
pourrd out upon them by fsnaticism,
ripened into madness and armed with
irr.s pcnslble power. They might have
taken away ali pretext for hostility and
persecution, BY merely abjuring their re-
ijyion and inter marrying with the races
bS which they were sHrrOunded; bur
thew chung TO their religion and customs
with a tenacity OF purpose never before
displayed. They refused to inter marry
with persons not their race and relig ion.
they remained "peculiar people, I'M
der expressions and persecu ions, which
would have exhausted the fortiIude and
resistance Of any other u tple.
Ii was during the mirdle ago that the
Jews we're suhj .cted 10 the most cruel
prosecutions. brcause blind fanaticism
and unreasoning passion reigned
supreme over the minds Of all classes.
The pupulace OF every country Insulted,
malIrented and stoned the Jews with en-
tire Impunity. The proud, haughty and
greedy mobiles exacted forced loans from
them which they subsequently repudi-
ated, and openly robbed and plundered
them. The jew was outside OF the pale
of the law. Kings bauished them, and
con II Gated their property.
! his was done half dozen times IN
France and 5 rain-they We're banished
and recalled at the caprice of the reign
Ing monarch. II kings vices happened
10 draw down upon him the censures Of
the Priesthood or II he seized upon the
ircnmes of the church, he fastened TO
rxplate these faults and sins by rOhbihg
ana prosecuting the Jews. King John.
If England. whose baseness. greed. bru-
tally aud prrfiiy We're unrelieVed by
solitary redteming trait. robbed ami
piundered the jews o. England, without
the smallest conjunction OF conscience.
and In the case OF The rich jews OF Lon
don. If they refused 10 loan him money,
caused their teeth to be drawn, one
after another, until they consented TO
loan him the sun demanded. These same
chris ian kings had no scruples at all
abou repuuiatlng the debts owing TO
the J, VS. aud bamishir & them from the
kIug, O on the shortest notice possible,
10 get rId of their opportunities for re-
mhurs. ment Of the money extOrted from
the Jew, IN the Iape OF forced loans.
During the Cru~ades, or wars under
taken for the recovery of Jerusalem.
the fanaiical rabble, as it pursued its
disoruerly and lawless march through
Germany. Hungary or Italy, frequently
signal zrd its Zeal for thu cause OF
Christ BY plunderlng and numbering the
Jews H. the towns and cities through
which IL passed.
Anrieniiy, the Jews were not more
addicted 10 mercantile pursuits than
any other people, but after their forcible
EXPULSION from their country, and their
dispersion throughout the nations Of
Europe, the precariOus tenure by which
they held property-the IMMUNITY with
which they could be robbed and plum
der.d, and the frequency with which
they were sumarily bsDished, and their
property contiscated, forced them TO
reside in towns and cities, and to con-
fine themselves to mercantile pursuits.
rEey sought TO get their p:Cp"rty in
port able fOrm-sO that ii might be readi
ly secreted, or transported. as Tue exI
gency demanded; consequently the
Jews Of that period, dealt in precious
stones and diamonds, vel cts and silks.
and loaned money. They were forced
TO live secluded lives and and TO seem to
be Door, In order to escape insult and
spoliaIioD. No sane man would en-
bark 10 agriculture, when he might be
numbered with impunity, or banished
nv A decree of arbitrary power. The
Jews had no inducpment to purchase